Borrowed car for Battle of the Stocks

Christchurch favourite Malcolm Ngatai will race a borrowed car in this weekend's big Battle of the Stocks meeting at the Woodford Glen Speedway.

Ngatai damaged the engine in his car at last weekend's New Zealand Superstock Grand Prix.

"It's a format I quite like," he said of the best-pairs format. You don't know who you are racing with until the marble is drawn on the night – and it also encourages team work. You have a "mate" to look out for over the weekend."

Ngatai believes that the Joblin brothers, Simon and Scott, from Stratford (but registered with Palmerston North), will be among the fastest in the field along with new North Island champion Scott Hewson, from Rotorua.

Christchurch's Simon Grace, third in the V8 Ute Series points standings, has shrugged off a bout of ill health that saw him hospitalised with glandular fever and tonsilitis and will compete in this weekend's round at Ruapuna and the final round at Timaru next weekend.

Chris Pither (Ford) and Caine Lobb (Holden) – two of the country's top aspiring professional racing drivers – have battled throughout the series, and Lobb, a former driving instructor at Ruapuna, will be looking to overhaul Pither and take the points lead into the final round.

"I like Ruapuna, it's a cool track. It tends to favour Holdens. It is a drag strip then a corner and another drag strip," said Lobb.

Several of the V8 utes will be on display on Tuesday between the two rounds, at Edge Parts and Performance on Main South Rd from 10am until 6pm.

Super Truck racing returns to the Ruapuna Raceway on Easter Saturday (April 3). The meeting will be the second in the two-round championship. The first round takes place at Timaru Raceway a week earlier.

NZV8 Champion Kayne Scott will make another foray into truck racing, while long-time campaigner Malcolm Little is likely to be among the front- runners.

Michael Pickens secured his third national midget-car title at Stratford last weekend. He finished fifth, first and second in the three heats to head Angus McLeod and Michael Brunt on points.

Pickens flew to Brisbane this week to race a Spike Esslinger at Archerfield.

- © Fairfax NZ News